Thursday, 3 September 2015

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces launched an air attack early Thursday on a military site of the Hamas movement's armed wing in the northern Gaza Strip, local sources told Ma'an.

Israeli forces fired two rockets at an al-Qassam Brigades military site known as Falasteen, causing damages.

No injuries were reported.

Israeli forces said the attack was in response to alleged sniper fire from the Gaza Strip, which hit a house in the Netiv Hatsra neighborhood, adjacent to the besieged territory.

An Israeli army statement released early Thursday said shots were fired from the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and that "in response to the shooting, an IAF aircraft targeted a Hamas military post in the northern Gaza Strip, from where the shots were fired."

The army could not say whether the shots from Gaza had been deliberate or stray fire from the Hamas position, identified in Israeli media as a training base.

No group has taken responsibility for the alleged sniper fire, but the Israeli government holds Hamas, as the elected ruling party, responsible for any activity within the enclave.

Some sporadic rocket fire towards Israel from Gaza in recent months has been claimed by a small extremist groups in the strip allegedly aiming to challenge Hamas' rule.

Hamas has denied involvement in past attacks and has attempted to vamp down on armed activity by smaller political groups reportedly growing more active.

Last month Israeli forces injured four Palestinians during a bombing near Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. more